V* 

OF  PLACES  IN 


PLYMOUTH,  MIDDLEBOROUGH 

LAKEVILLE  AND  CARVER 

PLYMOUTH  COUNTY 

MASSACHUSETTS 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


INDIAN   NAMES 


OF    PLACES    IN 

PLYMOUTH,    MIDDLEBOROUGH 
LAKEVILLE  AND  CARVER 

PLYMOUTH    COUNTY 
MASSACHUSETTS 

With  Interpretations  of  Some  of  Them 


By 
LINCOLN  NEWTON  KINNICUTT 


WORCESTER,     MASSACHUSETTS 
1909 


Previous  Publication: 

Indian  Names  of  Places  in  Worcester  County,  Massachusetts, 
with  interpretations  of  some  of  them. 


No. 


THE  COMMONWEALTH    TRESS 
1VOKCK.STKK,  MASS. 


To  the  land  of  Massasoit, 
On  the  hills  of  Pometacom, 
By  the  streams  of  Ouadequina, 
Through  the  woods  of  Queen  Weetamoo, 
If  you  will,  this  book  will  lead  you. 


UJ 

I — 
to 


F7?- 

P']K 


INTRODUCTION 

MY  object  in  collecting  some  of  the  Indian  Place  Names 
of  Plymouth  Comity  and  attempting  their  translation, 
is  the  wish  to  create  an  interest  in  the  use  of  Indian 
names  in  New  England. 

Although  of  the  following  comparatively  small  collection, 
few  can  be  used,  the  early  Massachusetts  records  and  deeds 
contain  innumerable  Indian  Place  Names,  many  of  which  are 
more  euphonious.  The  Algonkin  language  possesses  also  many 
euphonious  words,  which  will  describe  some  natural  character- 
istic of  almost  any  locality. 

We    scarcely   realize    that   this    whole    country   was    once 

inhabited  by  a  people  whose  history  is  almost  unknown,  but 

whose  characteristics,  and  traditions,  and  myths,  and  religions 

offer,  in  some  respects,  almost  as  wide  a  field  for  interesting 

2   study  and    for   research,    as  the  myths  and  traditions  of  the 

a  races  of  the   old  world.     I  am  speaking  of  the  race  before  it 

was  corrupted  by  European  influences.     This  is  not  a  country 

§?    without  a  past,  and  much  may  yet  be  revealed  of  great  interest 

w    to  the  historian. 

The  almost  universal  idea  of  the  Indian  is  associated  with 
cruelty,  torture  and  massacre,  while  all  other  traits  are  generally 
unknown  or  forgotten.  A  very  little  study  of  the  subject 
creates  a  broader  estimate  of  his  character.  It  seems  to  me 
that  the  Indian  has  never  been  given  his  true  place  in  history. 
When  condemning  the  "  savage"  to  everlasting  obloquy  for  his 
methods  of  warfare,  and  judging  him  by  this  alone,  we  should 
remember  the  civilized  cruelties  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition  of 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion of  the  eighteenth,  and  the  treatment  of  the  Armenians  by  the 


INTRODUCTION 


Turks,  and  the  Jews  by  the  Russians,  in  the  year   of  our  Lord 
nineteen  hundred  and  nine. 

Massachusetts  was  inhabited  by  different  tribes  of  the  great 
Algonkin  family,  which  "  extended  from  Hudson  Bay  on  the 
North  to  the  Carolinas  on  the  South;  from  the  Atlantic  on  the 
East  to  the  Mississippi  and  Lake  Winnipeg  on  the  West.  '  ' 


When  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth  the  territory  was 
occupied  by  a  family  of  tribes  known  by  the  name  of  Pokano- 
kets,  all  under  the  dominion  of  Massasoit.  The  Pokanokets  or 
possibly  the  Wanipanoags  alone,  at  a  little  earlier  date,  '  '  num- 
bered about  three  thousand  warriors."  {Samuel  Gr.  Drake.) 

Some  of  the  Sachems,  Sagamores  and  Captains  (Mugwomps) 
of  the  Plymouth  County  tribes  deserved  admiration,  respect, 
gratitude  and  sympathy  from  the  descendants  of  the  Pilgrims. 
Massasoit,  Metacomet  (King  Philip),  lyanough,  Tisquantum 
(Squanto),  Hobomok,  Tispequin,  Sassamon,  were  all  impor- 
tant factors  in  the  early  days  of  the  colony,  between  the  years 
1620  and  1675. 

With  a  little  investigation  and  study  of  the  Algonkin 
language,  euphonious  and  locally  characteristic  Indian  names 
can  easily  be  found  for  our  country  and  seashore  places  and  for 
our  institutions.  They  bear  the  hall-mark  of  our  own  country 
and  are  more  consistent  with  our  national  traits  of  independence 
and  individuality  than  borrowed  names  from  England,  France 
or  Italy. 

Imagination  was  rarely,  if  ever,  used  by  the  Indians  in  New 
England  in  their  place  names,  and  any  translation  expressing 
anything  except  a  description  of  the  locality  to  which  it  is 
affixed,  must  be  accepted  with  caution.  In  many  other  words, 
the  Indian  did  use  imagination,  sometimes  almost  poetically. 
They  called  the  sunset,  Wayont,  "  when  he  has  lost  his  way.'  ' 
The  name  of  the  belt  of  Orion  was  Shwifshacuttowivaoug  "The 
wigwam  with  three  fires.  "  One  of  the  names  for  the  sun  was 


INTRODUCTION 


Munnannock,  probably  from  munnoh-annoch,  "The  Island 
Star.  "  The  names  of  some  of  the  plants,  trees  and  flowers  are 
wonderfully  descriptive  and  at  the  same  time  imaginative. 

In  the  attempt  to  translate  Indian  Place  Names  the  first  and 
most  important  step  is,  in  my  opinion,  to  obtain  a  knowledge, 
if  possible,  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  place  itself  when 
the  Indians  occupied  the  country.  The  next  step  is  to  attempt 
to  consider  it,  as  one  who  has  been  much  with  the  Indians  of 
the  North  expressed  it,  "from  the  Indian  point  of  view. ' '  The 
place  names  were,  in  a  large  majority  of  cases,  very  descriptive, 
so  as  to  be  easily  recognized  by  the  Indians  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  often  so  descriptive  as  to  serve  as  guide-marks  for  wander- 
ers through  a  country,  almost  a  wilderness,  with  few  inhabitants 
and  with  only  narrow  trails  from  point  to  point.  It  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  Indians  had  no  written  language. 

We  cannot  expect  to  find  the  exact  meaning  of  many  of 
these  names,  but  I  believe,  to  most,  we  can  give  the  idea 
that  was  intended  to  be  conveyed.  The  only  foundations  on 
which  we  have  to  build  are  the  early  records  of  these  names, 
written  by  men  very  ignorant  of  the  Indian  language,  struggling 
with  the  difficulty  of  expressing  in  writing,  the  sound  of  a  word 
of  an  unknown  tongue.  As  that  same  word  was  expressed  by 
different  hearers,  with  different  spellings,  the  problem  is  a 
difficult  one.  Sometimes,  for  the  sake  of  euphony,  sometimes 
for  contraction,  more  often  through  carelessness,  almost  all 
place  names  have  been  corrupted.  This  accounts,  in  part,  for 
the  different  opinions  of  different  students  in  regard  to  the  same 
word,  and  a  true  student  of  the  language,  at  the  start,  acknowl- 
edges possible  wrong  deductions  in  many  cases.  One  object 
of  my  work  is,  however,  the  collecting  by  localities,  the 
Indian  Place  Names  of  some  of  the  towns  of  Plymouth 
County.  I  believe  this  has  not  been  attempted  before  in  a 
published  form.  I  hope  that  my  wish  to  create  a  new  interest 
in  the  Wampanoag  or  Pokanoket  names  will  be  realized  by  this 
paper. 


INTRODUCTION 


I  must  ask  the  indulgence  of  Plymouth,  Middleborough, 
Lakeville  and  Carver  for  any  geographical  errors  or  errors  from 
ignorance  of  some  local  tradition  or  history,  as  I  am  not  a  native 
of  Plymouth  County. 

I  have  included  in  my  list  of  names  quite  a  number  over  the 
boundaries  of  the  designated  territory,  but  this  is  on  account  of 
their  frequent  recurrence  in  deeds  examined.  Many  Indian 
names  must  have  been  omitted,  which  are  probably  to  be  found 
in  old  deeds  and  manuscripts  inaccessible  or  unknown  to  me. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the  late  Hon.  William  T.  Davis,  of 
Plymouth,  for  the  advice  and  information  received  from  him, 
also  to  the  late  J.  Hammond  Trumbull,  whose  translations  and 
suggestions,  taken  from  his  publications  and  letters,  I  have 
used  whenever  possible. 

From  the  early  publications  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society  I  have  made  many  quotations,  with  the  consent  and 
courtesy  of  Dr.  Samuel  A.  Green,  and  the  manuscripts  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society  have  given  me  much  valuable 
information. 

Roger  Williams'  "Key  to  the  Indian  Language,"  Wood's 
"  New  England 's  Prospect,  "  Josiah  Cotton's  "  Vocabulary  of 
the  Massachusetts  Indian  Language,"  Dr.  Arthur  Gallatin's 
"Vocabularies,"  Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards'  "Observations  on 
the  Mohigan  Language,"  Rev.  Experience  Mayhew's  "Obser- 
vations on  the  Indian  Language,"  Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trum- 
bull's  publications,  are  the  authorities  I  have  mostly  consulted 
in  regard  to  the  translations. 

"The  Plymouth  Colony  Records,"  "Records  of  the  Town  of 
Plymouth,"  "  The  Mayflower  Descendant"  and  various  Ply- 
mouth deeds  and  manuscripts  are  the  authorities  1  have  mostly 
used  for  the  original  spelling  of  the  Indian  place  names. 

Mr.  William  Wallace  Tooker's  "Algonquian  Series"  and 
Mr.  Henry  Andrew  Wright's  "Indian  Deeds"  have  furnished 
many  valuable  suggestions. 

1  wish  to  acknowledge  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Charles  E. 
Weston  whose  familiarity  with  the  old  deeds  and  land  boun- 
daries in  Middleborough  has  been  of  great  service. 


Abbreviated   References 

Abn.       .     .     .  Abnaki. 

A.  L.  M.  Ply.  Ancient  Land  Marks  of  Plymouth. 

(Wm.  T.  Davis) 

Chip.       .     .     .  Chippewa. 

Col Colonial. 

Coll.        .     .     .  Collections. 

Coly.       .     .     .  Colony. 

C.  H.  S.  Coll.  Connecticut  Historical  Society  Collections. 

Cotton     .     .     .  Josiah  Cotton. 

I.  N.  C.        .     .  Indian  Names  in  Connecticut. 

(J.  Hammond  Trumbull.) 

M.  H.  S.  Coll.  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  Collections. 

Moh.        .     .     .  Mohegan. 

Ply.  Col.  Rec.  Plymouth  Colony  Records. 

P Page. 

R.  W.     .     .      .  Roger  Williams. 

Rec.         .     .     .  Records. 

s Series. 

J.  H.  T.       .     .  Dr.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull. 

W.  T.  D.     .     .  William  T.  Davis, 

v.  Volume. 


INDIAN  NAMES 


The  Indian  Names  of  Land  in  the  Vicinity 
of  the  Towns  of  Plymouth  County* 


Abington 

Manamooskeagin,  "Much  or  many  beavers. "    (M.  H.  S. 
Coll.,  e.  2,  v.  7,  p.  122.) 

Bridgewater 

/Saughtuckquett,   Saughtuckett,    "At  the    mouth    of   the 
stream. " 

Brockton 

Formerly  part  of  Bridgewater. 

Carver 

Mohootset,  Formerly  part  of  Plymouth. 

Duxbury 

JVamasakeeset  or  Matlakeeset,  '  'At  the  small  fishing  place. ' ' 

East  Bridgewater 

Nunketest. 

Halifax 

Monponset,  "Near  the  deep  pond." 

Hanson 

JWamasakeest,  or  Monpomet,  "At  the  small  fishing  place," 
"Near  the  deep  pond.  " 


*The  explanation  of  the  translations  will  be  found  on  other  pages  under 
the  Indian  name. 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Hanover 

Nanumackewit. 

Hingham 

Conohasset,     Wessaguscus.     "A    fishing     promontory," 


Hull 

jVantascot,  Passataquack.  — .      "At   the   divided 

stream." 

Kingston 

Formerly  part  of  Plymouth. 

Lakeville 

Assawompset,  "At  the  half-way  rock. '' 

Marion 

Stppican,  possibly  river  country,  or  place. 

Marshfield 

Sagoquash,  Also  Missaukatucket,  "Hard  rock,"  "At the 
large  mouth  of  the  river." 

Mattapoisett 

Mattapoixett,  "Near  the  resting  place." 

Middleborough 

Numuxket,  Namasmkel,  "At  the  fishing  place." 

Norwell 

Formerly  part  of  Scituate. 

Pembroke 

Matlakeeset,   "At  the  small  fishing  place." 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Plymouth 

Patuxet,  Appaum,  Umpane,  "At  the  little  falls." 


Plympton 

Winnatuxet,  "Near  the  good  stream." 

Rochester 

iSippican,  Sepaconnet,   "Long  river."?    (M.  H.  S.  Coll., 
s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  265.) 

Rockland 

Formerly  part  of  Abington. 

Scituate 

$atui(,  Assanipi,  -  — .     "Rock  water." 

Wareham 

Affawaam,     Waywayartik,     Wewewantett,     "Unloading 
place," ,  "Crooked  River." 

West  Bridgewater 
Nuncketetest. 

Whitman 

Formerly  part  of  Abington. 


PLYMOUTH 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Accomack,  Acawmuck. 

The  present  site  of  Plymouth  was  called  Accomack  by 
Captain  John  Smith  in  1614.  "A  name  given  not  by  the 
Indians,  who  occupied  it,  but  by  those,  probably  who  lived  far- 
ther north  '  On  the  other  side  of  Plymouth  Bay'  from  Acawme 
or  Ogkome  (Abn-aga-mi,  Chip .  Agami)  means  '  on  the  other 
side.'  "  (J.  H.  T.,  C.  H.  S.  Coll.,  v.  2,  p.  10.) 

In  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Soc.  Collections  (s.  2,  v. 
3,  p.  175)  it  is  spelled  Acaivmuck  and  the  signification  is  given 
"  Go  by  water,  "  for  which  I  can  find  no  other  authority. 

Acomeques  (moJi)  was  named  by  Uncas  as  his  south  bounds 
on  the  east  side  of  Mohegan  (Thames)  River  (Col.  Rec.  3-149). 
The  name  means  "land  (or  place)  'on  the  other  side'  of  the 
river."  (J.  H.  T.,  I.  N.  C.,  p.  2.)  This  was  also  a  name  of 
a  river  in  Virginia. 

2.  Aggamenticm.     York,  Maine.     "  The  small  other  side 
river." 

3.  Acawmenoaket.     Old  England  "The  land  on  the  other 
side." 

4.  Accomac.     A  peninsular  east  of  Chesapeake  Bay  which 
was  "other  side  land"  to  the  Powhatans  of  Virginia. 


Agawam,  Aggawom. 

Name  of  river  in  Plymouth  and  Wareham  and  village  in 
Wareham . 

The  river  rises  in  Coatuit  or  Half  Way  Pond  in  Plymouth, 
flows  through  the  southern  part  of  Plymouth  into  Wareham  and 
empties  into  Wareham  River. 

The  "Agawam  Purchase"  from  the  Indians  in  16655,  called 

17 


INDIAN  NAMES 


the  "Plantation  of  Agawam,''  included  a  part  of  the  town  of 
Wareham. 

The  river  probably  took  its  name  from  the  village  near  its 
mouth,  as  this  same  name  was  used  by  several  tribes  for  river 
settlements,  namely,  at  Ipswich,  Springfield,  Southampton,  in 
New  York  State,  and  in  Canada. 

There  are  many  opinions  in  regard  to  the  interpretation  of 
this  name  and  it  has  never  been  satisfactorily  translated.  From 
the  formation  of  the  word  and  from  the  locations  of  all  Aga- 
wam Indian  villages,  I  believe  "The  unloading  place"  or  "the 
landing  place"  is  the  most  natural  signification. 

Low  Land — Fish  Curing  Place — Ground  overflowed  with 
water — Great  fishing  place — smoked  fish,  etc.,  are  other  mean- 
ings given  to  this  word  by  different  authorities. 

Lemoine,  in  his  Montagnaise  dictionary,  gives  "Agwanus 
— an  unloading  place.'' 

Appaum,  Apaum,  Umpame. 

"The  ancient  name  applied  to  that  part  of  Plymouth  on 
one  side  of  Town  Brook,  Patuxet,  the  name  applied  to  the 
other  side"  (letter  from  William  T.  Davis,  Sept,  19,  1906). 
"Umpame,  written  Apaum  in  the  Colony  Records,  is  the  name 
of  Plymouth  in  Churches  History,  and  so  it  is  called  still 
(1815)  by  the  natives  of  Massapee."  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3, 
p.  175.)  Possibly  a  contraction  or  corruption  of  Appamond,  a 
place  for  fishing  with  traps.  Appeh  "trap"  auimuj — "pond." 

2.  Appamatuck,  name  of  a  river  in  Virginia  mentioned 
by  John  Smith  in  1607. 

Alkarmus  Field,  Alkermaus— 1641. 

"  On  the  westerly  side  of  Sandwich  Street,  including  Mount 
Pleasant  Street  and  the  land  on  both  sides  and  bounded  by  Gal- 

18 


INDIAN  NAMES 


lows  Lane  on  the  west."  ( W.  T.  D.,  A.  L.  M.  Ply.,  p.  149.) 
Although  sometimes  claimed  among  Indian  place  names  it 
is  probably  not  of  Indian  origin.  I  believe  without  much  doubt 
it  is  from  Alkermes  or  Kermes,  the  usual  form  of  the  word, 
an  insect  found  on  several  species  of  oak,  formerly  much  used 
as  a  red  dye  before  cochineal  was  discovered.  Kermes  was  for- 
merly regarded  as  the  fruit  of  the  tree  on  which  it  lived.  The 
"  Kermes  Oak"  was  a  dwarf  oak  from  two  to  five  feet  high. 
The  following  extracts  are  from  Captain  John  Smith's  account 
of  his  visit  to  New  England  in  1614.  "The  herbs  and  fruits 
are  of  many  sorts  and  kinds  as,  alkermes,  currans,  mulberies." 
' « Certain  red  berries  called  kermes  may  yearly  be  gathered  a 
good  quantity."  "Certain  red  berries  called  alkermes  which  is 
worth  ten  shillings  a  pound  may  yearely  be  gathered  a  good 
quantitie." 

It  is  probable,  from  these  quotations,  that  some  part  of 
Plymouth  was  covered  with  a  growth  of  small  oak  at  the  time 
of  Captain  John  Smith's  visit.  Possibly  he  may  have  mistaken 
the  cranberry  or  the  boxberry  for  the  alkermes  but  this  is  very 
doubtful. 


Cattacapcheise. 

"An  Indian  field"  mentioned  as  a  boundary  of  John  Don- 
hames  land  near  Winberry  Hill.     (Ply.   Col.  Records,  1637.) 


Coatuit,  Cotuit,  Coituate,  Satuite. 

"The  present  name  of  a  district  in  Plymouth?  The  Indian 
name  of  Half  Way  Pond."  (M.  H.  S.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.) 
In  the  southern  central  part  of  Plymouth.  Possibly  a  cor- 
ruption of  Kootuclcet — Pine  Tree  River,  Koo  or  Koowa — Pine 
— Tuck — river  or  stream  with  the  locative  suffix  et  or  it  and 

19 


INDIAN  NAMES 


would  refer  to  some  well  known  place  on  the  river.  It  may 
have  been  one  of  the  aboriginal  names  of  the  Agawam  River 
itself  which  rises  in  that  pond.  The  present  name  of  the  river, 
without  doubt,  was  taken  from  the  Indian  village  Agawam. 
It  is  said  that  the  last  male  Indian,  of  unmixed  blood,  in  Ply- 
mouth died  at  Coatuit  or  Half  Way  Pond,  in  his  wigwam,  in 
1801.  Half  Way  Pond  is  so  called  being  half  way  on  the  road 
from  Plymouth  to  Sandwich.  Kodtuhkoet  would  probably 
mean  »«  at  the  top  of  a  hill." 

Coatuit  was  a  well  known  name  among  the  Barnstable  Coun- 
ty Indians  and  probably  also  among  the  Plymouth  Indians,  as 
one  of  their  very  old  traditions  tells  of  the  formation  of  Coatuit 
River  in  Barnstable.  "  The  Trout  King  wishing  to  furnish  the 
Indians  with  a  stream  of  fresh  water  forced  his  way  into  the 
land  at  Poponesset  Bay  but  finding  the  effort  too  great  for  his 
strength  he  expired,  when  another  fish  took  up  the  work  where 
he  left  it  and  completed  the  river  to  Sanctuit  Pond.  The 
mounds  made  by  these  two  trout,  and  supposed  to  be  their 
graves,  can  be  seen  to-day."  (1800.)  Coatuit  Town,  Coatuit 
River,  Harbor,  Point  and  Highland  are  all  present  names  in 
Barnstable. 


Cantaughcantiest,  Caughtaughcanteist,  1638,  Cau- 
ghtacanteist,  1641   (Ply.  Col.  Rec.) 

"The  aboriginal  name  of  the  Strawberry  Hill  of  the  first 
planters."  Was  also  called  in  early  times  "  Mill  Hill,"  after- 
wards Watson's  Hill,  which  name  it  now  retains. 

Tradition  asserts  that  the  meaning  of  the  name  is  "  Planted 
fields."  On  this  hill Massasoit  camped  in  April,  1621,  when  he 
first  visited  the  Pilgrims  and  greeting  them  through  the  Suchem 
Samoset  and  Tisquantum  made  the  famous  treaty  which  lasted 
as  long  as  he  lived.  Edward  Winslow  remained  as  a  hostage 
on  this  hill  while  the  conference  was  being  held. 

20 


INDIAN  NAMES 


The  Treaty  of  Cantaugticanteist  or  Caughtaughcanta,  as  it 
should  be  called,  was  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  our 
early  Colonial  history  and  with  all  its  picturesque  surroundings 
should  take  its  place  in  song  and  story  with  the  ballads  of  Scot- 
land and  of  France  and  with  the  Celtic  and  Saxon  national 
tales  of  Great  Britain. 

The  Sachem  Samoset  was  the  first  Indian  with  whom  the 
Pilgrims  held  communication  and  his  words  of  greeting,  when 
he  met  them  a  few  weeks  before  the  treaty,"  Welcome,  English- 
men,'1 are  historical.  After  much  study  of  this  word  I  think 
possibly  this  name  was  not  applied  originally,  by  the  Indians,  to 
the  hill  but  only  after  the  treaty.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  this  was  the  first  time  the  Pilgrims  had  met  any  number 
of  Indians  (April  1621)  and  knew  very  little  of  their  language. 
Massasoit  was  encamped  on  this  hill  and  insisted  that  the 
Englishmen  should  send  some  one  to  meet  him.  A  word  which 
the  Indians  might  naturally  have  repeated  several  times,  con- 
sidering all  the  circumstances,  and  which  might  easily  be  con- 
sidered by  the  Pilgrims  to  refer  to  the  hill  itself,  would  be 
Ke  kuttokaunta  which  means  "Let  us  parley"  or  "talk."  The 
first  mention  I  find  of  this  name  in  the  Plymouth  Colony  Rec- 
ords is  in  1638,  where  it  is  spelled  Caugh  taugh  cant  teist. 
Comparing  this  with  Ke  kut  tok  kun  ta  it  is  easily  conceived 
that  the  first  syllable  of  the  original  Indian  word,  Ke,  could  be 
lost  or  dropped,  and  the  final  syllable  is  probably  a  corruption, 
as  I  know  of  no  Massachusetts  Indian  names  with  the  termina- 
tion teist.  Oaughtaughcanieist  or  Kekuttokuntu ,  Conference 
Hill  is  certainly  an  appropriate  name. 

Compare          Caugh-taugh-cant-teist 
(Ke)         Kut-      to-kunt-       ta 

I  offer  the  above  only  as  a  suggestion. 

Catawmet. 

The  name  of  a  district  of  Plymouth.  (See  Kitteaumut.') 
Also  a  name  used  near  Falmouth. 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Hobbamak's  Ground. 

"A  parcel  of  Land  on  Watson's  Hill  occupied  by  Hobba- 
mak  by  permission  of  the  colony  before  1623."  (W.  T.  D., 
A.  L.  M.  Ply.,  p.  152.)  This  tract  consists  of  about  four 
acres  at  the  top  of  the  hill. 

Hobbamak  or,  as  his  name  is  spelled  by  Samuel  G.  Drake, 
Hobomok,  was  a  Wampanoag  Indian,  always  a  great  friend  of 
the  English  and  served  them  often  as  a  guide  and  interpreter. 

The  Pilgrim  Colony  owed  much  to  the  two  Indians  Squanto 
and  Hobbamak,  and  but  for  the  devotion  and  faithfulness  of 
these  two  "  savages  "  during  'the  first  year  of  settlement,  Ply- 
mouth would  have  a  very  different  history. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  Squantam  or  Squantum  and  Haba- 
mouk  were  the  names  of  the  two  evil  gods  of  the  Indians,  and 
it  is  very  plausible  that  these  names  were  given  to  them  by 
their  own  tribe  as  characterizing  the  results  to  the  Indian 
through  their  friendship  to  the  white  man.  One  of  the  Indian 
Chiefs,  Caunbitant,  speaking  of  Squanto  said,  "If  he  were 
dead  the  English  had  lost  their  tongue." 

Tisquantum  was  the  name  by  which  Squanto  was  most  usu- 
ally called  in  the  earliest  records  and  the  abbreviation  of  this 
name  I  should  judge  was  of  a  little  later  origin.  Edward 
Winslow  mentions  him  many  times  in  his  "  Relation"  as 
Tisquantum. 


Kamesit,  District  of  Plymouth. 

"The  Indian  name  of  the  country  about  South  Pond." 
(W.  T.  U.,  A.  L.  M.  Ply.,  p.  152.)  In  the  central  part  of 
Plymouth.  Possibly  the  name  of  the  pond  itself.  (M.  H.  S. 
Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.) 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Kawamasuhkakamid,  Kawamasohkakannit,  1664, 
Koomasabunkawitt,  1674  (Ply.  Col.  Rec.) 
Comassakumkanit. 

Probably  Herring  Pond,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Ply- 
mouth (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  1,  v.  1,  p.  198).  Hon.  Nathaniel 
Freeman,  in  1792,  suggests  that  this  name  might  have  been 
given  to  the  Indian  territory  in  the  neighborhood  of  Herring 
Pond,  about  five  miles  northwest  of  Sandwich,  extending  along 
shore  to  Monument  Pond,  and  inhabited  by  a  distinct  tribe 
called  the  Herring  Pond  Indians.  "  Of  that  land  called  Kawa- 
masuhkakamid.'' (Indian  deed,  1664.) 

Richard  Bourne,  in  a  letter  to  Daniel  Gookin  in  1664,  gives 
the  fourth  spelling  of  the  name.  From  the  construction  of  the 
word  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  signified  the  place  where 
the  Indians  fished  for  herring  or  alewives,  Ommissakkeag  or 
Ammassakkeag — "a  fishing  place  for  alewives."  "Amoskeag" 
at  the  falls  of  the  Merrimack  has  probably  the  same  meaning. 
(J.  H.  T.) 

"Great  Herring  Pond"  is  probably  a  literal  translation  of 
"Kawamasuhkakamid"  doubtless  a  somewhat  corrupted  form  of 
an  original  name  K  \ehti],  ommissuogamaug — Kehti  (often  ab- 
breviated) "  greatest"  — "  principal  " — ommissuog — "  herring  " 

imaug  "  fishing  place"  "pond." 


Kitteaumut,  Katamet,  Kitaumet,  Cataumit. 

Monument  Ponds.  (M.  H.  S.  ColL,  s.  3,  v.  2,  p.  244  Cotton.) 

The  Indian  name  of  the  country  from  Manomet  to  Buzzard's 
Bay.   (W.  T.  D.,  A.  L.  M.  P.,  p.  152.) 

A  general  name  of  the  Village  of  Ponds.    (M.  H.  S.  Coll., 
s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.) 

In  comparing  various   statements  in  regard  to  Kitteaumut — 
Manomet  and  Monumet  I  am  led  to    the    conclusion   that  the 

23 


INDIAN  NAMES 


name  Manomet  originated  at  or  about  the  head  of  Buzzard's 
Bay,  Monumet  or  Monument  was  a  corruption  of  the  original 
word  and  the  name  was  finally  used  as  a  general  name  for  all 
the  country  from  Plymouth  town  to  Buzzard's  Bay,  including 
part  of  Sandwich  and  Bourne.  Kitteaumut  was  a  name  per- 
haps originally  given  to  Great  Herring  Pond  and  then  became 
the  name  for  all  that  part  of  Manomet  about  the  ponds. 

I   believe    the   name   is  from   Kehte-amaug .     (Keht — The 
"greatest,"  or  "  principal,  "amaug  "fishing  place.'') 


Kowpiscowonkonett. 

Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary.  Near  Bartlett's  marsh  in  Ply- 
mouth and  Wareham.  Perhaps  it  has  the  same  signification  as 
Kobpakommocket  which  signifies  the  place  where  the  squaws 
and  children  were  hidden  in  time  of  danger — usually  a  swamp. 

(See  Coppoanissett.) 


Makewaumaquest. 

Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231. 
A  place  mentioned  as  a  boundary.  Was  between  Red  Brook 
and  Agawam  River,  in  Wareham. 


Manittoo-Asseinah.     SACRIFICE  ROCKS. 

There  are  two  of  these  rocks  near  the  Cornish  Tavern  on 
the  Sandwich  road  "where  the  natives  still  (1815)  offer  the 
homage  of  branches  as  they  pass  by  in  silence."  (M.  H.  S. 
Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  201.)  I  should  judge  from  this  letter  in 
the  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections  that  these  rocks  were 
then  called  by  the  natives  Manittoo-Asseinah. 

24 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Manitto  was  the  Indian  word  for  God  (Manittoo — It  is  a 
God — R.  W.)  kassun —  "  rock,"  hassunash — "  rocks",  God's 
Rocks. 


Manomet,  Manaumet,  Mannamoiett. 

Now  called  Bourne,  a  village  on  the  Momimet  River  a  few 
miles  from  the  head  of  Buzzard's  Bay.  This  is  one  of  the  ear- 
liest known  Indian  place  names  in  Plymouth  County  and  to-day 
probably  the  best  known  and  more  universally  used  than  any 
other  in  the  County,  Manomet  Hills,  Manomet  Ponds,  Mano- 
met Beach,  Monumet  Village,  Monumet  River,  etc.,  all  owe 
their  origin  to  the  small  Indian  village  of  Manomet.  It  is  de- 
scribed by  Edward  Winslow  in  "Good  News  from  New  Eng- 
land" published  in  London  in  1625.  "This  town  lieth  from  us 
South  well  near  twenty  miles  and  stands  upon  a  fresh  river 
which  runneth  into  the  Bay  of  N'namoliigganset''  (Narragansett). 
("Edward  Winslow  mistook  Buzzard's  Bay  for  Narragansett 
Bay.") 

It  was  known  as  early  as  July,  1621.  The  following  is  an 
extract  from  Gov.  Bradford's  diary  of  that  date.  "  One  John 
Billington  lost  himselfe  in  ye  woods  and  wandered  up  and 
downe  some  5  days.  At  length  he  light  on  an  Indian  planta- 
tion 20  miles  south  of  this  place,  called  Manamet."  (Brad- 
ford's History,  page  124.) 

In  1627  "that  they  (the  Pilgrims)  might ye  better  take  all 
convenient  opportunitie  to  follow  their  trade  ....  re- 
solved to  build  a  sniale  pinass  at  Manamet,  a  place  20  miles 
from  ye  plantation  standing  on  ye  sea  to  ye  southward  of  them, 
unto  which  by  another  creeke  on  this  side,  they  could  carry 
their  goods  within  4  or  5  miles  and  then  transport  them  over 
land  to  their  vessell ;  and  so  avoid  the  comparing  of  Cap-Cod 
and  so  make  any  vioge  to  ye  southward  in  much  shorter  time 
and  with  farr  less  danger."  (Bradford's  Journal,  p.  266.)  I 

25 


INDIAN  NAMES 


believe,  from  the  name  itself,  that  the  Indians,  from  very  early 
times,  used  this  same  crossing  of  the  cape  for  like  purposes  and 
taking  into  consideration  the  whole  history  of  the  Cape  Cod  canal 
at  this  very  spot,  the  translation  of  this  Indian  place  name  is 
very  interesting.  I  believe  the  Indian  name  Manomet  is  derived 
from  Mai — "a  path,"  and  a  form  of  the  verb  "Nayeumau"- 
"  he  bears  (or  carries)  on  his  back  or  shoulders" — and  the  loca- 
tive suffix  et — "  at  or  near."  The  whole  literal  translation  would 
be — "at  the  path  where  they  carry  (across)  on  their  backs  or 
shoulders."  A  free  translation — "The  Burden  Pathway."  The 
pronunciation  by  the  white  man  of  the  Indian  word  Mainayeu- 
mauet  can  easily  be  imagined  as  Manomet  or  Manaumet  or 
Mannarnoiett . 

In  1622-3  Governor  Bradford  first  visited  this  village  in 
search  of  corn,  and  a  trading  house  was  erected  there  in  1627; 
the  second  visit  to  Manomet,  by  Miles  Standish,  is  also  histori- 
cal. 

In  an  article  written  in  1815 — M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p. 
291,  it  is  stated  that  the  Indian  name  of  the  river  was  Pimese- 
poese  and  it  signified  "provision  rivulet"  (?)  Aptuxet  is  given 
as  the  Indian  name  of  the  old  trading  house.  (M.  H.  S.  Pro- 
ceedings 1855-1858,  v.  3,  p.  256.)  It  probably  took  its  name 
from  the  river — Appeh — "trap"— tuck — "  river"  with  the  di- 
minutive and  the  locative  suffix.  "At  the  little  trap  river." 
Believing  my  translation  of  Manomet  to  be  correct,  no  name  could 
now  be  used  more  appropriately  for  the  land  first  occupied  by 
the  Pilgrims,  the  Pilgrim  country.  Manomet — "The  trail  of 
the  burden  carriers."  (See  Monomoy.} 

Mashashinett,  Massashinet. 

Indian  deed,  Ply.  Col.  Records,   v.  1,  p.  231. 
From  Mass — "great,"  hassune—  "stone,"  et — at, "the  place 
of  large  stones."   Mentioned  as  a  pond  in  boundary  description. 

26 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Massassoomineuk. 

"  Is  a  place  somewhere  in  the  vicinage  of  Herring  Pond." 
"  This  word  is  literally  "much  cranberries."  (M.  H.  S.  Coll., 
s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.)  I  believe,  however,  as  the  word  is  now 
spelled  a  literal  translation  would  be  ' '  the  place  of  the  large 
cranberry,"  or  "  where  large  cranberries  are.  "  Massa  "  great," 
sasemine  cranberry,  and  awk  place. — Sasemineash — cranberries 
(R.W.)  The  plural  of  many  kinds  of  berries  was  formed 
by  adding  "ash"  to  the  singular. 

Meshmuskuchtekutt. 

Indian  deed,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  1,  p.  231. 
From  Mishe-m 'askeht-tuck-ut .      "At    the    great   grass    (or 
bullrush)  brook."  Near  Agawam  River  or  Red  Brook. 

Missaucatucket. 

The  Indian  name  for  the  land  about  Marshfield.  Probably 
from  Miss — "Great"  sank — "the  mouth  of  the  stream  or  out- 
let"— tuck — "river  "  and  the  locative  et,  meaning  "(a  place)  on 
the  stream  which  has  a  very  large,  wide  outlet." 

Monechchan,  Maneikshan 

"An  Indian  territory  just  beyond  Ellis's  usually  called  by 
the  English  '  Black  Ground'"  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p. 
175.)  In  the  southeast  part  of  Plymouth,  very  near  the 
coast.  "Called  by  the  English  the  'Black  bank, '  but  called  by 
the  Indians  Monechchan.''  (Indian  deed,  1674.)  I  think  it  very 
probable,  from  the  construction  of  the  word,  that  the  English 
name  was  taken  from  the  Indian  name.  M'toi— black  and  some 
form  of  the  word  Anoohque  or  Nogqui  which  might  mean  "  it 
looks  like  black  earth."  Mooi-ne-nan  "it  has  the  appearance  of 
blackness." 

27 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Monomoy,  Monnamoiet,   Monamoyick,  Manamoy- 
ack,  Manamoyake. 

The  Indian  name  of  land  about  Chatham.  This  I  think 
has  the  same  signification  as  Manomet  and  to  me  is  additional 
proof  that  my  translation  of  Manomet  is  correct.  In  Bradford's 
History  we  find  there  was  a  path  from  "Naumskachett"  Harbor 
at  the  bottom  of  Cape  Cod  Bay  to  ' '  Manamoyack  Bay,"  the 
distance  being  only  two  miles,  saving  the  passage  by  boat 
around  the  head  of  the  cape,  and  it  was  used  by  the  Indians 
for  the  very  same  purpose  as  the  path  at  Manomet  was  used. 
In  1626  an  English  ship  bound  for  Virginia  was  wrecked  at 
Manamoyake  and  the  Plymouth  Colony  sent  them  aid  and  pro- 
visions over  this  trail. 

Mainayeumauk — "the  path  where  they  carry  (across)  on  their 
shoulders."  (  See  Manomet.}  It  was  at  this  place  that  Squanto 
died  in  1622. 

Monomoy  Point,  near  Chatham. 

Monumet. 

Name  of  river  rising  hi  Great  Herring  Pond  on  the  boundary 
line  between  Plymouth  and  Bourne,  flowing  southwesterly 
through  Bourne  into  Buzzard's  Bay. 

The  historical  Indian  village  of  Manomet  (Monwnef),  was 
situated  almost  at  its  mouth. 

(See  Manomet  and  Kitteaumut.} 

Muchquachema,  Mauthquohkoma 

"  To  a  swamp  called  Muchquachema."  (Indian  deed,  Ply. 
Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231.)  Possibly  this  may  mean — "where  it 
is  difficult  to  paddle  a  canoe" — from  the  verb  Moosqhean — "it 
troubles,"  and  chernan — "  he  paddles  "  or  chemaun — "  a  canoe." 
Schoolcraft  gives  "cJiemaun"  us  the  Indian  word  for  canoe  and 
Longfellow  uses  the  same  word  in  Hiawatha. 

The  swamp  was  probably  near  Red  Brook. 

28 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Muskapasesett,  Muscapasset. 

"So  running  southerly  to  a  place  called  Muskapasesett.'' 
Boundary,  Indian  Deed,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231.  Also 
in  Ralph  Jones's  deed  of  1703. 

Near  Little  Herring  Pond,  Plymouth. 

Muscho-'pauge — name  of  large  pond  in  Worcester  County— 
"Mooskou-paug,  Muskrat  Pond." 

Mussaauwomineukonett,  Massaworninekonet. 

"To  a  place  called  Mussaanwomineukonett.'1' 
Indian  deed,  1703,  Ply.  County  Registry  of  Deeds,  book  5, 
p.  65. 

Somewhere  near  Great  Herring  Pond,  Plymouth. 
(See  Massassoomineuk.*) 

Namasakeeset  or  Mattakeeset. 

The  Indian  name  of  land  about  Duxbury  including  also 
Pembroke  and  probably  Carver. 

These  two  names  are  without  doubt  the  same,  from  Namas 
"fish"  and  ok  "land  or  place"  with  the  diminutive  and  the 
locative  "  at  the  small  fishing  place.' '  "All  the  land  lying  be- 
tween the  path  and  the  ponds  between  Namassakeset  and  Indian 
Head  River." 

Namassakeset  River,  in  Pembroke,  with  Indian  River  form 
the  two  principal  heads  of  North  River. 

Narragansett. 

Name  of  pond  and  ridge  of  hills  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  Plymouth,  now  called  "  Clear  Pond." 

In  "Ancient  Land  Marks  of  Plymouth1'  Mr.  William  T. 
Davis  says  that  the  pond  derives  its  name  from  a  battle  fought 
near  it  between  the  Narragansetts  and  the  Pockonokets  in  which 
a  large  number  of  the  Narragansetts  were  killed  and  their  bodies 

29 


INDIAN  NAMES 


thrown  into  the  pond.     The  ridge  of  hills  on  which  the  battle 
was  mainly  fought  is  south  of  the  pond. 

Narragansett ;  the  anglicized  name  of  the  country  of  the  Na- 
higaneuk,  the  "Nahicans"  of  the  early  Dutch  explorers.  The 
tribal  name  denotes  "people  of  the  point  (Point  Judith)"  (J. 
H.  T.,  Ind.  Names  in  Conn.,  p.  35). 

Patackosi. 

"Probably  is  typical  of  the  Town  Brook  from  Tackosi 
"short,  narrow"  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175). 

In  note  R  in  Winthrop's  History  of  New  England,  Savage 
says  Patackosi  is  a  part  of  Plymouth. 

I  should  suppose  it  might  be  a  corruption  or  derivation  from 
Pautuxet. 

(See  Pautuxet.y 

Paukopunnakuk,  Pochuppunnukaak. 

(1665)  "That  weary  hill  this  side  of  Ellis's  called  by  the 
early  settlers  'Break  Heart  Hill'"  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v. 
3,  p.  175).  I  believe  the  translation  of  this  word  to  be  The 
place  where  you  turn  aside  and  take  the  narrow  path.  Poh- 
cJiau — "  he  turns  aside"  (Del.  Pachgechen — "where  the  road 
strikes  off  "),  and  Penogolc —  "  where  the  path  is  narrow." 

Paukopu  i  in  akuk. 

Pohchaupeonogok  (Eliot's  Bible,  Matt.  7:13,14). 

Assuming  this  translation  to  be  correct,  it  is  one  of  the 
striking  examples  of  the  geographical  descriptive  use  the  Indians 
made  of  their  place  names,  for  guidance  as  well  as  for  de- 
scription. I  should  suppose  it  was  the  path  around  the  hill. 

Patopacassitt. 

Indian  deed,  .March  1(5,  1664.  Ply.  Co.  Rec.,  Patoompack- 
xick,  1674. 

30 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Polopacassatt,  Poloopacassett. 

A  pond  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Plymouth.  The  Indian 
name  of  Little  Herring  Pond. 

"Pacassatt,"  the  greater  part  of  the  word,  denotes  a  place 
at  which  "a  strait  widens — where  the  narrows  open  out."  On 
examination  of  the  formation  of  Little  Herring  Pond  and  noting 
the  gradual  widening  out  of  the  very  short  stream  between 
Great  and  Little  Herring  Ponds,  this  part  of  the  word  certainly 
describes  the  locality.  The  first  part  of  the  name  has  probably 
been  changed. 

Pato — possibly  Pehtean — "foaming" — '  'afoaming  narrows. ' ' 
Petaug — "a  bay;"  Potobzg — a  bay.     "Where  the  narrows 
open  out  into  a  small  pond." 

Pethto,  Pogsett. 

Boundary,  Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231. 
"  To  a  place  called  Pethtopogset  &  by  ye  English  Hedges  pond." 
Deed  of  Ralph  Jones  (Indian),  1703  (Ply.  County  Registry  of 
Deeds,  book  5,  p.  65).  From  these  deeds  and  from  the  ety- 
mology of  the  word  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  Pethtopogset 
was  Little  Herring  Pond  and  the  original  Hedges  Pond ;  the 
name  of  Hedges  Pond  being  transferred  to  the  small  pond  now 
bearing  that  name. 

(See  Patopacassitf). 

Patuxet,  Patuxat. 

i.  e.,  Pau't-tuk-es-it — "At  the  little  falls." 

The  original  name  of  land  about  Plymouth.  On  the  16th 
of  March,  1621,  Samoset  suddenly  appeared  at  Plymouth  and 
greeted  our  Pilgrim  Fathers  with  the  words,  "Welcome,  Eng- 
lishmen." "He  told  us  the  place  where  we  now  live  is  called 
Patuxet."  (Mourt's  Relation,  M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  1,  v.  8,  p. 
218-219,  in  original  edition,  P.  19  and  20.) 

31 


INDIAN  NAMES 


The  name  is  derived  from  Powntuck  with  the  locative  suf- 
fix— et,  and  is  the  diminutive.  "  Powntuck  is  a  general  name 
for  all  falls."  (Chandler's  Survey  of  the  Mohegan  Countries.) 
"Probably  from  some  little  falls  on  Town  Brook."  (J.  H.  T., 
Conn.  Hist.  Coll.,  v.  2.  p.  9)  "The  Indian  name  perhaps 
of  that  part  of  Plymouth  south  of  Town  Brook"  (W.  T.  D., 
A.  L.  M.  P.,  p.  153). 

Poekquamscutt. 

Probably  refers  to  cleared  land,  or  land  that  had  been 
broken  for  planting.  The  word  Paquiaug  with  many  variations 
occurs  throughout  New  England. 

' '  Poekquamscutt  or  a  great  rocke  neare  unto  the  brooke ' ' 
(Red  Brook).  Indian  deed,  1678  (Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p. 
'231). 

If  this  name  applied  to  the  rock  itself  I  should  suppose  from 
the  formation  of  the  word  that  the  rock  was  broken  into  two 
parts. 

Pokanoket,  The  Pokanoket. 

The  name  of  a  large  family  of  tribes  who  occupied  much  of 
the  land  of  the  Plymouth  Colony  in  1620.  This  family  in- 
cluded the  Wampanoags  and  the  Patuxets  of  Plymouth,  the 
Namaskets  of  Middleborough  and  many  others.  All  these 
tribes  were  under  the  dominion  of  Massasoit.  The  name  sig- 
nifies "  cleared  land,"  or  country. 

"Pauqu-un-auk-it — "  On,  or  at,  cleared  land." 

Drake  in  his  History  of  the  Indians  of  North  America  states 
that  Mount  Hope  was  called  Pokanoket  by  the  Narragansetts, 
and  Sowama  by  the  Wampanoags,  and  that  it  was  the  principal 
place  of  residence  of  Massasoit. 

Sowams,  meaning  "South  Country,"  or  "southward,"  was 
the  Indian  name  of  all  of  Barrington,  a  portion  of  Swanzey, 
Seakonkand  East  Providence  (Bicknell  History  of  Barrington). 

32 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Ponkashute. 

"A  part  of  Chiltonville  near  Russell's  Mills,  so  called  by 
the  Indians  as  late  as  1770"  (W.  T.  D.,  A.  L.  M.  Ply.). 

Quanpaukoessett,  Quanpasseesset. 

"To  a  pond  called  Quanpaukoessett. "  (Indian  deed,  1678, 
Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231.) 

Probably  means  near  the  little  long  pond.  From  Quinni- 
long,  paug — pond,  diminutive  es,  locative  sett — "near." 

Quohtauannet,  Sachtanannet. 

"So  running  southerly  to  a  place  called  Quohtauannet." 
(Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231). 

This  must  have  been  south  of  Little  Herring  Pond. 

Otan  means  a  town  or  village.  KeTitotanet  would  signify 
at  the  great  town. 

Qusuknash,  Qusuknashunk. 

"Rock  in  the  sea  below  Ellisville;"  from  Qussuk,  a  rock 
and  AuJce,  place,  "  a  place  of  rocks  or  rock  ground." 

QussuJcanash.  "Rocks"  (Cotton).  Eliot  gives  QussuJcqua- 
nash,  as  "rocks,"  in  1  Samuel  17-40,  with  the  diminutive. 
Apparently  this  name  is  one  of  the  least  corrupted  of  Indian 
names  in  Plymouth  County. 

Auke  from  ohke — "land,"  "ground,"  was  often  written 
"  unk." 

"A  great  rock  in  ye  water  called  Qussukuashunk  "  (Indian 
deed,  1664). 

Sagoquas,  Saquish,  Sagaquish,  Sagaquash. 

The  /Saquish  of  to-day  was  formerly  an  island  at  the  entrance 
of  Plymouth  Harbour.  First  mentioned  in  an  account  of  Sieur 


INDIAN  NAMES 


de  Monts  Voyage  of  1604,  and  is  shown  as  an  island  on  Cham- 
plain's  map  of  1605,  but  in  neither  case  is  a  name  given. 
Saquish  Beach  and  Saquish  Head  are  now  the  modern  names  of 
places  about  Plymouth  Harbour.  William  T.  Davis  gives  the 
meaning  of  /Saquish  as  a  "small  creek."  Possibly  the  name 
may  have  some  relation  to  the  Indian  word  for  clams,  but  I 
think  it  is  very  doubtful.  It  is  spoken  of  in  this  connection  in 
the  Mass.  Historical  Society  Collections,  series  2,  vol.  3,  p.  175. 

(/Sukkissitog  "clams"  (Cotton),  from  Sohq-ussuog  "they 
squirt. ") 

Without  doubt  this  is  the  Sagoquas  mentioned  by  Captain 
John  Smith  in  his  account  of  his  voyage  to  New  England  in 
1614.  Afterward,  in  1615,  named  "Oxford  by  Prince 
Charles"  (Charles  1st).  In  Captain  Smith's  map  Oxford  is 
placed  a  little  north  of  Plymouth  Harbor  and  on  the  main 
land,  probably  the  present  Marshfield.  Changing  the  original 
exact  locality  of  Indian  place  names  of  towns  and  villages  is 
almost  a  rule  rather  than  an  exception.  The  original  Sagoquas 
may  have  been  from  Sagaqussuk  or  Sagaqussukashet,  meaning 
"at  the  hard  rocks,"  referring  to  stones  from  which  they  made 
their  weapons.  Sioge,  Soggoh,  "hard"  (applied  to  rocks). 

"  Sagaguabe  Harbour"  (Hubbard's  History  of  New  Eng- 
land) . 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  the  name  was  first  applied  to  the 
land  very  near  Brant  Rock,  or  to  the  rock  itself. 

Sanqutagnappiepanquash,  Sanqutuquappiepon- 
quash. 

Boundary  in  Indian  deed,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  1,  p.  231, 
"  to  a  pond  called  SanqutagnappiepanquasJi. ' '  This  pond  must 
have  been  near  White  Island  Pond  in  Plymouth  and  may  have 
been  the  name  of  the  pond  itself. 

The  name  may  possibly  indicate  the  outlet  of  the  Cold 
Water  ponds?  or  the  fording  place  where  the  stream  comes  out 
of  the  ponds? 

34 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Scituate,  Satuit. 

Town  in  the  northeast  part  of  Plymouth  County.  "Prob- 
ably from  a  well  known  brook,  implies  Cold-brook?"  (M.H.S. 
Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  223.)  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  deriva- 
tion is  from  see — "  salt,"  tuck — "  stream,"  et — "at."  "At  the 
salt  stream." 

Skook,  Scokes. 

A  pond  in  Plymouth  at  Manomet  Pond  settlement. 

This  is  given  as  an  Indian  name  by  Dr.  James  Savage  in 
Winthrop's  History  of  New  England.  (Note  R.,  vol.  2, 
appendix.) 

"Scook  is  the  Indian  name  for  a  small  pond  near  Manomet 
Point  where  are  many  rocks."  (Thatcher's  History  of  Ply- 
mouth, p.  248.) 

Scokes,  Pond  in  Manomet  where  an  Indian  by  that  name 
lived.  (W.  T.  D.)  The  Indian,  however,  probably  took  his 
name  from  the  pond.  In  its  present  form  I  should  suppose  it 
must  have  lost  one  or  two  syllables.  Possibly  it  is  a  corruption 
of  Qussukook,  " stone  country. "  Qussuk,  " stone, "auk,  "place." 

Skapeunk. 

District  in  Plymouth.        (W.  T.  D.,  A.  L.  M.  P.,  p.  153.) 

Taupoowawmsett. 

' '  One  necke  of  land  more  that  shools  into  the  herring  river 
pond  (Great  Herring  Pond)  called  Taupoowaumsett."  Prob- 
ably the  name  of  an  Indian  Sachem  or  Medicine  Man. 

Taupowaw,  "  a  wise  speaker."     Powwaw,  "a  priest." 

Untsatuitt,  Unsatuet. 

"to  a  place  called  Untsatuit."  (Indian  deed,  1703,  Ply. 
County  Registry  of  Deeds,  book  5,  p.  65.)  In  Plymouth, 
south  of  Great  Herring  Pond. 

35 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Wampanoag,  The  Wampanoag. 

The  name  of  the  tribe  of  Indians  who  occupied  the  greater 
part  of  Plymouth  County  and  much  of  the  country  east  of 
Narragansett  Bay  in  1620.  The  word  means  "East  Land," 
Wampan-ohlte,  from  Wompan — "day,"  Wompanand — "The 
Eastern  God  "  (R.  W.),  Wompanniyeu — "where  the  daylight 
is." 

This  name,  "the  East  Land  People,"  was  probably  applied 
to  them  by  tribes  living  farther  west,  and  Drake,  in  his  history 
of  Indians  of  North  America,  says  "This  tribe  (the  Wampa- 
noags)  was  perhaps  the  third  in  importance  in  New  England 
when  settled  by  the  English.''  Massasoit  was  their  sachem. 

Wankinco,  Wonkinco,  Wankinquoak. 

A  river  forming  a  part  of  the  boundary  line  between  Ply- 
mouth and  Carver,  also  name  of  a  bog  at  head  of  the  river. 
Although  in  modern  maps  it  is  spelled  Wankinco,  it  is  usually 
written  Wankinquoah,  which  I  believe  expresses  more  nearly 
the  Indian  name.  Probably  from  Wonqun,  crooked,  and  may 
have  been  first  affixed  to  a  part  of  the  river  at  its  source. 

(See  Wonquonquay .*) 

Wauphaneeskitt,  Wenphennesaket. 

"To  a  place  called  Wauphaneeskitt."  (Boundary,  Indian 
deed,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231.)  Somewhere  near  Red 
Brook  in  Plymouth. 

Possibly  from  Woapin — "  white,  "  anna — "  shell,"  with  the 
diminutive  and  locative  et.  "Near  the  little  white  shell  place?" 

(Compare  Wappanucket.} 

Wauquanchett. 

"The  lands  lying  neare  Wauquanchett. "  (Indian  deed, 
1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231.) 

36 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Probably  from  Wonqun — 4  'crooked, ' '  applied  often  to  a  bend 
in  a  river.  This  land  was  very  near  a  deep  bend  in  Red  Brook 
on  boundary  between  Plymouth  and  Wareham,  "  at  the  Bend." 

(Compare  Wankinco.) 

Weakpocoinke. 

"Thence  southerly  to  a  little  pond  called  by  the  Indians 
Weakpocoinke. "  Indian  deed,  1674.  From  Quachattasett  to 
Will  Hedge  or  Webaquequaw.  The  original  Indian  name  of 
Will  Hedge  was  probably  "Ahaz.'"  This  pond  was  near  Little 
Herring  Pond  and  was  probably  the  present  Hedges  Pond. 
Possibly  this  name  was  originally  Week-paug-ongque  meaning 
"the  wigwam  pond  on  the  other  side"  (of  Great  Herring  Pond) 
or  "  the  Wigwam  Pond,  which  is  the  farthest  off." 

Week — "wigwam,"  pang — "pond,"  onque — "the  other 
side  "—  "  the  farthest  off. ' ' 

Wonammanitt. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col. 
Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  231. 

In  Wareham  between  Red  Brook  and  Agawam  River. 

Wonquonquauy. 

"  Voted  to  let  out  a  sertaine  branch  of  a  cedar  swamp  about 
the  head  of  Wonquonquauy."  (Plymouth  Town  Records,  Dec. 
11,  1699.)  This  probably  is  the  same  name  as  Wonkinco. 
Possibly  meant  a  bend  or  crooked  place  in  the  river.  At  the 
cedar  swamp  and  where  the  Stag  Brook  enters  Wankinco  River 
there  is  a  very  curious  bend. 

Wauki — "  crooked  "  (R.  W.)  Wonkoi — "  crooked"  (Cotton). 

Woonki.      Wonqun — "  crooked." 

Wakkickoo — "It  is  crooked''  ? 

(See  Wonkinco.) 

37 


MIDDLEBOROUGH,   LAKEVILLE 
AND   CARVER 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Annasnappet,  Annisnippi. 

Name  of  village  and  also  name  of  brook.  Rises  in  the  south 
eastern  part  of  Plympton,  flows  westerly  into  the  Winnetuxett 
River.  The  first  mention  I  find  of  this  name  is  in  Plymouth 
Town  Records,  May  1701.  Probably  an  Indian  village. 
llNbo8nippi — Beaver  water,  Noosup  being  one  of  the  names  for 
the  beaver  in  the  Indian  dialects  of  New  England."  (M.  H. 
S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  275.)  I  think  this  translation  very 
doubtful. 

I  would  suggest  Anna — "shell,"  es — (diminutive),  nippe 
—"water,"  the  small  shell  brook  or  small  shell  pond,  referring 
perhaps  to  fresh  water  mussels.  Near  the  source  of  the  brook 
is  a  small  pond  from  which  the  brook  may  have  taken  its  name. 

Nip  s^  Nipsash — "pond,"  "ponds."  (R.  W.)  Nippe— 
"  water." 

Asnemscussett. 

A  pond  mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  "Woods  Purchase" 
from  Tuspaquin,  Aug.  9th,  1667.  "  On  ye  other  end  by  a  lit- 
tle pond  called  Asnemscussett."  The  present  name  is  Woods 
Pond.  In  the  eastern  part  of  Middleborough  north  of  Tespe- 
quin  Pond.  The  meaning  of  this  word  may  be  ' '  The  rapid  brook 
which  flows  over  small  rocks"  from  Hassunemes — "small 
stones  "  and  kussitanip — "  a  quick  flowing  stream."  The  pond 
taking  its  name  from  the  brook  flowing  out  of  it,  now  called 
Woods  Brook. 

Assawampsett,  Assawompsett,  Assawamsett. 

Was  the  Indian  name  of  the  land  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Assawompset  Pond  in  Middleborough  and  Lakeville.  Probably 
from  (11)  ashuae-omps-et,  "At  or  near  the  upright  rock  that  is 
between,"  or  "  in  the  middle."  Perhaps  referring  to  some  large 
prominent  rock  between  the  ponds,  or  a  rocky  land  mark  that 


INDIAN  NAMES 


was  between  two  well  known  localities.  Could  be  translated 
"at  the  middle  rock,"  possibly  "at  the  half  way  rock."  I 
believe  the  accepted  translation  of  the  word  in  Middleborough 
is  "At  the  place  of  the  white  stone,"  but  the  construction  of  the 
word  or  its  etymology  does  not  permit  this  interpretation . 

"Ashawog,  Assawaug,  Nashawog,  et  aL,"  "this  name  desig- 
nated a  place  between  (Nashaue,  Eliot)  'or  in  the  middle,' 
occurs  in  various  forms  throughout  New  England"  (J.  H.  T., 
Indian  Names  in  Connecticut,  p.  5). 

Nashaue-komuk.  (Chilmark — on  Martha's  Vineyard)  "Half 
way  House"  (J.  H.  T.). 

Assawompsett  is  the  present  name  of  a  very  large  pond 
between  Middleborough  and  Lakeville,  also  was  the  name  of  one 
of  the  Indian  Praying  Villages,  also  the  name  of  a  brook.  In  a 
cove  of  this  pond  the  Indian  murderers  concealed  the  body  of 
John  Sassamon  in  1675,  and  the  execution  of  the  murderers 
hastened  the  beginning  of  King  Philip's  war.  In  early  records 
the  pond  itself  was  called  Namaskett,  which  probably  meant 
"the  fishing  place." 

Mr.  Thomas  Weston  in  his  history  of  Middleboro  says  that 
"  the  name  of  Middleberry  may  have  been  given  on  account  of 
its  location  mid  way  between  Plymouth  and  the  residence  of 
Pokanoket  Chief."  Is  it  not  very  possible  that  the  early  settlers 
knowing  the  meaning  of  the  Indian  name  partially  Anglicized 
it  and  used  it  for  their  own.  Assawompsett — "  the  middle 
borough?"  The  name  may  have  been  first  used  to  designate  the 
very  large  rock  on  which  stands  the  present  village  of  Rock, 
and  later  applied  to  the  pond  which  is  only  about  a  mile  away. 
Originally  Assawompsett  was  not  a  water  name. 

Assonett,  Assonet. 

The  present  name  of  town,  bay  and  river  in  Freetown. 
(Name  of  Indian  town.  Ply. Col. Rec.,  1639.)  The  country  about 
Freetown  was  called  by  the  Indians  Assonet,  the  river  and  town 

42 


INDIAN  NAMES 


taking  the  same  name.  Probably  the  name  is  a  corruption  of 
Hassunet,  "near  the  rock."  Hassun — "  a  stone  or  rock" — et 
— "at"  or  "near." 

As  the  Dighton  Rock,  with  its  ancient  inscription,  is  very 
near  the  present  town  of  Assonet,  and  must  have  been  a  land- 
mark widely  known  to  the  Indians,  the  whole  country  in  its 
vicinity  would  naturally  refer  to  the  rock.  Although  the  in- 
scription was  first  attributed  to  the  Norsemen,  later  antiquarians 
have  concluded,  I  believe,  that  it  is  the  rock  writing  of  the 
aborigines.  I  know  of  no  other  rock  inscriptions  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  these  must  have  been  of  very  early  date.  The  first 
tracing  from  this  rock  was  made  in  1680  by  Dr.  Danforth. 

Cadohunset. 

In  Carver.  Mentioned  as  the  name  of  a  brook  as  a  boundary 
line  in  deed  of  land  to  James  Cole  and  John  Rickard  from 
Tispequin.  It  is  described  as  being  near  Tippicunnicut.  Pos- 
sibly meaning  "  at  the  boundary  ?  " 

Chippopoquet,  Chupipoggut. 

Indian  deed,  1673,  from  Wattuspaquin  to  Assowetough. 

Another  name  of  Pocksha  Pond.  A  part  of  Assawompsett 
Pond  in  Middleborough  and  Lakeville.  Chippe — "separated," 
Paug — "Pond,"  et — "  at."  "The  pond  that  is  separated  from 
another.  This  interpretation  seems  to  be  absolutely  descriptive. 

(See  Pocksha.     Compare  Coppoanessett.} 

Coppoanissett,  or  PINGUKST  HOLE. 

(Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  1664.)  A  river  near  the  Sandwich  line 
(A.  L.  M.  P.,  153,  W.  T.  D.). 

Possibly  from  Kobpaoiik,  "  a  place  shut  in,"  "a  haven," 
with  the  diminutive  -ess  and  the  suffix  -et.  "At  the  little 
haven."  It  certainly  is  very  descriptive  of  the  place. 

43 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Pinguin  Hole  is  the  present  name  of  a  small  inlet  from 
Buzzard's  Bay,  a  little  north  of  Barlow  River,  on  the  western 
coast  of  Bourne. 

Kabpaonk  (Eliot  Bible,  Acts  27:8),  "A  haven." 
From  Kuppi — "  close-shut  in,"  "  enclosed." 
Cappacommock  or  Kabpakommock  signifies  a  place  where  the 
squaws  and  children  were  hidden  on  the  approach  of  boats. 

Cuppacommock — "the  hiding  place."  A  noted  place  of 
refuge  of  the  Pequots,  sometimes  called  Ohomowauke  —  ' '  the 
owl's  nest."  A  swamp  in  the  S.  W.  part  of  Ledyard,  Conn. 

Cuttootquat — "Ales  Teticut." 

March  26,  1722,  Ply.  T.  Rec.,  vol.  2,  p.  216. 

Mentioned  in  description  of  land  given  by  the  Indians  to 
Nathan  Wood — twelve  acres. 

This  description  is  an  apt  illustration  of  some  of  the  diffi- 
culties in  the  translation  of  Indian  Place  Names.  It  is  the  same 
name  as  Kehtehticut — "  on  the  great  river,"  and  in  this  short 
description  is  spelled  five  different  ways —  Cuttootquat —  Catoo- 
quot — Teticut —  Tootqut —  Catootquot. 

Dr.  Trumbull  states  that  ' '  the  omission  or  displacement  of 
a  consonant  or  an  emphasized  vocal  necessarily  modifies  the 
signification  of  the  compound  name,  the  methods  of  Algonkin 
synthesis  are  so  exactly  prescribed."  (I.  N.  C.,  p.  7.) 

(See  Titicwt.') 

Mahutchet,  Mahuchet. 

Now  called  Rocky  Meadow,  in  Middleborough  near  Carver 
line;  also  name  of  pond  and  brook,  now  Rocky  Meadow  Brook. 
Named  probably  from  an  Indian  Chief  of  that  name.  (Weston's 
History  of  Middleborough,  page  334  and  335.)  Mentioned  as  a 
boundary  "Muhndsett  '*  in  south  purchase. 

In  the  records  of  the  Town  of  Plymouth  (v.  2,  p.  124)  the 
brook  is  spelled  Mahucket,  "Unto  Mahuket  Brook  at  the  old 

44 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Indian  path,"  etc.  From  this  description  it  seems  very  prob- 
able that  the  interpretation  is  "  near  "or  "at  the  place  of  the 
path"  from  Mai — '  'path,  "auk  or  uclc — ' '  place, "  with  the  locative 
suffix — et — "The  place  on  the  trail."  (See  Manyhootset.) 

Mohootset  Pond,  in  northwest  coiner  of  Carver.  (M.  H. 
S.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  272.) 

Mahutchett.     Running  of  town  lines  in  1700. 

Manyhootset. 

"A  little  brook  called  Manyhootset  a  boundary  in  'Major  or 
Five  Men's  Purchase.'  "  (Indian  deed,  1663.)  In  the  Major's 
purchase  it  is  described  as  between  a  cart  path  on  the  north  and 
a  new  path  on  the  south  from  Plymouth  to  Namasket,  and  with 
this  spelling  the  name  may  possibly  mean  near  the  second  small 
path,  from  Mai — "path"  and  hohtoen — "that  which  comes 
next"  or  "second,"  with  the  diminutive  and  the  locative.  Pres- 
ent name — Short's  Brook. 

(See  Mahutchet.} 

Mashquomoh,  Massquamak. 

"A  little  swamp  place  called  Mashquomoh."  Indian  deed 
of  1673  from  old  Wuttuspaquin  to  Assowetough  (Betty  Sassa- 
mon).  This  was  a  part  of  the  original  grant  of  Betty's  Neck 
in  Lakeville.  Probably  from  Massek — -"marsh,"  or  MasTcliet — 
"grass,"  Komuk — "an  inclosed  place." 

A  similar  name,  "Masquomcossick,"  in  Deerfield. 

Mashucket  Brook. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  "Little  Lotmen's  Purchase" 
from  Wampatuck  to  Captain  William  Bradford  and  others,  in 
1664,  "From  Pochauge  Neck  to  Mashuck  Brook."  Derived 
probably  from Maskliet — "grass,"  ock — "land,"  et — "at,"  pos- 
sibly meaning  "  at  the  grass  land  or  meadow."  The  brook, 
taking  the  name  from  the  meadow,  is  now  called  Joses  Brook, 
in  Middleborough. 

45 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Massapanoch. 

Mentioned  in  boundary  deed  of  South  Purchase  from  Tus- 
paquin,  July  23,  1673.  "To  a  place  called  by  the  Indians 
Massapan  och . ' ' 

This  word  is  probably  a  corruption  and  abbreviation  of 
Massa-sappan-och ,  "Great  miry  place"  or  the  "great  swamp," 
the  "  swamp  country."  Derived  from  Saupae  or  Saupaun— 
' '  made  soft  by  water, "  "  miry . ' '  Massa — ' '  great, ' '  och — ' '  place ' ' 
or  "land."  In  this  "purchase"  swamps  are  mentioned  in  two 
places.  Probably  the  swamps  near  Double  Brook  in  Middle- 
borough. 

Mattapoisett. 

A  town  at  the  head  of  Mattapoissett  Harbor  in  Buzzard's 
Bay,  also  name  of  river,  neck  of  land,  etc. 

"A  place  of  rest."  (Mason's  Gazetteer.)  This  is  derived 
from  Mattapu — "He  sits  down,"  with  a  locative  suffix,  set — 
"near."  "The  resting  place."  Used  in  slightly  varying  forms 
in  various  parts  of  New  England.  Probably  used  to  designate 
the  end  of  a  carry,  between  rivers,  around  falls,  etc. 

(See  Mattapuyef). 

Mattapuyst,  Mattapuiet. 

Mentioned  as  an  Indian  town  by  Edward  Winslow  in  March, 
1622,  as  the  place  where  he  passed  the  night  with  the  Indian 
Chief  Corbitant  when  he  visited  Massasoit  who  was  very  ill 
near  "Pnckanokick."  (In  Good  News  from  New  England.) 

Probably  from  Mattapu — "he  sits  down,"  denoting  a  resting 
place,  the  end  of  a  carry,  between  rivers,  around  falls,  etc., 
where,  after  carrying  the  canoe,  they  rested.  This  word  in  various 
forms  is  found  throughout  New  England.  Mattapoisett — town 
and  harbor  in  Buzzard's  Bay.  "Mattapuyst — a  neck  of  land  in 
the  township  of  Swanzey  commonly  pronounced  Mattapoiset." 
(Belk.  Biog.,  2,  p.  292.)  It  was  here  Weeta moo — "the  Squaw 

46 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Sachem,"  or  "Queen  of  Pocasset,"  was  drowned,  Aug.  6,  1676. 
She  was  the  wife  of  Alexander  (Wamsutta)  and  sister-in-law 
of  King  Philip  (Pometacom)  both  sons  of  Massasoit.  "Her 
body  was  found  near  the  water  side,  her  head  was  cut  off  and 
set  upon  a  pole  in  Taunton."  (Drake,  N.  A.  Indians.) 

Misquitucket — "Seeks  the  sea  at  Buttermilk  Bay."   (M.  H. 
S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.) 

It  is  derived  from  M'squi-tuck-et,  signifying  "at  the  Red 
Brook. ' '  Mus-qui — "  it  is  red, ' '  tuck — ' '  a  tidal  stream  "  and  the 
locative  suffix  et.  The  modern  name  is  Red  Brook,  and  it 
forms  part  of  the  boundary  line  between  Wareham  and  Ply- 
mouth, having  its  source  in  White  Island  Pond. 

Monhiggin. 

A  river  mentioned  as  aboundary  in  "  South  Purchase  "  from 
Tuspaquin  to  Benjamin  Church  and  another,  July  23,  1673. 
"By  a  river  called  Monhiggin  which  runneth  into  a  pond  called 
Quitquassett."  The  present  name  of  the  river  is  Black  Brook. 
(See  Monhonkenock.')  I  believe  these  two  words  were  the  same. 
Originally  this  was  probably  not  the  name  of  the  river  but  the 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  river  and  the  pond.  "  The  place 
where  the  islands  are."  From  Munnoh — "  an  island,"  referring 
to  the  islands  in  Quitticas  Pond. 

Monhiggon — name  of  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kenne- 
beck. 

Monhonkenock.     River  in   Middleborough.     (See   POOK- 
POAWKQUACHOO. ) 

"Six  miles  south  of  wading  place  over  Namasket  River. '' 
(Town  Records  of  Middleborough,  April  6,1 686. )  Present  name 
is  Black  Brook.  This  name  must  originally  have  been  given 
to  the  land  about  Quitticus  Pond.  Munnohhan—  "island," 

47 


INDIAN  NAMES 


ock — "place  or  country."     The  whole  name  signifying  "the 
place  where  the  islands  are."  Great  Quittacus  Pond  into  which 
Black  Brook  flows  has  three  large  islands. 
(See  Monhigffin.') 

Monponsett,  Moonponsett. 

Large  pond  in  northeast  corner  of  Halifax,  mentioned  in  Ply- 
mouth Town  Records  in  1663,  where  it  is  spelled  Munponnett. 
It  was  the  Indian  name  of  the  land  all  about  Halifax. 

In  Mass.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  281,  it  is  suggested 
that  the  meaning  may  be  "much  nets  or  many  ponds."  Neither 
of  these  translations  are  satisfactory ;  possibly  it  may  be  from 
Moonoi — "deep," ' paug — "pond,"  and  the  locative  suffix  sett, 
"at  or  near  the  deep  pond." 

Muttock. 

An  Indian  village  hi  Middleborough .  ' '  On  the  banks  of  a  high 
hill  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  Namasket  River."  (Weston's 
History  of  Middleborough,  page  2.)  "The  first  comers  gave  it 
the  name  of  Muttock  from  Chesemuttock,  one  of  the  last  of 
the  Namasket  Indians. ' '  ( Weston's  History  of  Middleborough.) 
Mr.  Weston  also  says  that  the  Indian  name  of  Muttock  was 
Pauwatiny,  "A  swift  river  running  between  hills." 

Kchesemuttuyk  would  mean  "great  shoulders,"  and  this 
may  have  been  the  interpretation  of  the  Indian  chief's  name. 

Nahteawanet,  In  Lakeville. 

"A  tract  of  land  called  Nahteawanet."  Indian  deed  to 
Assowetough,  alias  Betty,  from  Wattuspaquin,  1673. 

The  Indian  name  of  "Betty's  Neck,"  given  by  her  to  her 
daughter  Mercy,  1696.  Nai — "  it  makes  a  corner,"  yaue-nai 
— "  it  is  four  angled,"  "square, "  or  yaue  nee — "four  corners," 
tonwacf — "a  gap,"  "a  place  left  open,"  with  the  locative  suffix  ct. 

48 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Nahteawanet — "at  a  gap  that  is  square" — "at  the  place  of 
four  corners."  This  translation  is  curiously  descriptive  of  the 
locality. 

Namasket,  Namaschet,  Nummastaguyt. 

The  Indian  name  of  Middleborough  and  present  name  of 
small  village  in  Middleborough.  Also  name  of  river  rising  in 
Assawompsett  Pond,  flows  north  into  Taunton  (Titicut)  River. 
It  was  first  visited  by  Thomas  Dermer  in  1619,  "a  days  journey 
westward  (from  Plymouth)  to  a  place  called  Nummastaguyt." 
Squanto  was  his  guide  and  he  probably  met  Massasoit  on  this 
journey.  "  Namaschet,"  as  first  known  by  the  Pilgrims  is  de- 
scribed in  "Purchase's  Pilgrims"  published  in  1622,  in  "A 
journy  to  Pakanokik  "  taken  by  Stephen  Hopkins  and  Edward 
Winslow  to  meet  Massasoit,  in  July,  1621.  The  name  prob- 
ably means  "a  fishing  place,''  from  Namas — "fish,"  auk — 
"place,"  et — "at."  It  is  used  in  various  forms  throughout 
Plymouth  County.  Namassakeese,  Namassachusett,  Namaua- 
keag,  etc.  The  Indians  in  the  neighborhood  of  Middleborough 
were  called  Namascheuks. 

Ninipoket. 

A  pond  mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  deed  of  "Sixteen  Shil- 
lings Purchase"  from  AVitispican.  "One  (pond)  is  commonly 
called  by  the  name  of  Ninipoket  the  other  gos  by  the  name  of 
Quitticus  Pond,"  the  ponds  being  the  bounds  on  the  one  side 
and  end.  Probably  the  same  as  JNunnippoget,  "The  freshwater 
pond,"  or  "the  cold  water  pond."  Numiaquoquitt  (Ply.  C.  R., 
v.  7,  p.  241,  1681).  Nunni — "fresh,"  pog — "pond,"  with 
the  locative  et — "at." 

Pachusett  Brook. 

Mentioned  in  Titicut  Purchase  1670. 

"From  Pachusett  Brook  on  the  east  where  it  runs  into 
Titicut  or  Great  River." 

49 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Paukohkoesseke. 

Boundary  in  Indian  deed,  1678,  Ply.  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p. 
231.  Possibly  the  place  from  where  the  pine  trees  had  been 
cleared.  From  Poquaug — "cleared  land,"  koo  or  kowas — 
"pine  tree,"  and  alike — "place."  Probably  on  Agawam  River 
near  White  Island  Pond. 

Pocaset,  Pocassett. 

Indian  name  of  little  brook  running  into  the  north  end  of 
Pocksha  Pond  in  Middleborough.  Boundary  in  Sixteen  Shil- 
ling Purchase.  "The  brook  is  called  by  the  name  of  Pocaset." 
1675. 

Paugeset  would  mean  "near"  or  "at  the  small  pond." 

Pochaboquitt. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  the  "South  Purchase,"  1673. 
"To  a  place  culled  Pochaboquett."  Probably  from  Pauchau 
or  Pohchau  which  signifies  "to  divide  in  two"  and  Pang — 
"pond,"  with  the  locative  suffix.  This  place  may  possibly 
have  been  the  name  of  a  little  pond  which  seems  to  divide  the 
river  into  two  brooks,  Green  Brook  and  Stony  Brook. 

Pauchau-paug-et — "the  dividing  in  two,"  pond. 

Pohsha,  Pocksha. 

In  reality  the  eastern  part  of  Assawompsett  Pond  in  Lake- 
ville.  Assawompsett  Pond,  after  becoming  very  narrow  in  the 
eastern  part  turns  to  the  north  and  south,  expands  again  and 
forms  Pocksha  Pond.  From  this  circumstance  the  name  is 
probably  derived. 

Pahchau,  Pauchau,  Pohchau — "He  turns  aside — deviates," 
Pohzhaog  describes  "A  place  where  they  divide  in  two."  (See 
Chvpipoggut . ) 

Pokexha — "It  is  broke."     (R.  W.) 

50 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Ponaquahot  Pond. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  "Running  of  the  Town  of 
Middle  borough  Bounds."  (Town  Records,  April  6, 1666.)  This 
was  probably  the  Indian  name  of  Long  Pond  in  Lakeville. 
Another  name  of  Long  Pond  may  have  been  Namatakeeset 
(I.  W.  Putnam,  First  Church  of  Middleborough). 

Ponikin  and  Quassaponakin  are  Indian  place  names  in 
Worcester  County. 

Penugqueog  would  probably  mean — "a  place  on  the  bank'1 
(of  a  river  or  a  pond). 

Polapoda,  Polypody,  Polypode. 

Polapoda  Cove,  often  erroneously  given  as  an  Indian  name, 
is  mentioned  in  the  Town  Records  of  Plymouth  as  boundary 
land  laid  out  in  1694,  also  in  Town  Records,  Oct.  7,  1701, 
Polapoda  Cove  is  mentioned  as  being  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  South  Meadows.  "To  extend  from  Polapoda  Cove  to 
Beaver  Dam  Pond."  In  the  same  record  the  name  is  also 
written  Pollapod  and  Pollapody. 

'•'•Polypody  Cove,"  in  Carver,  a  "  place  of  brakes."  (M. 
H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  275.)  The  name  is  derived  from 
the  word  polypody,  a  species  of  ferns.  A  large  rock  in  Middle- 
borough  is  called  Polypode  Rock  and  ferns  grow  very  luxuri- 
antly all  about  it.  Mentioned  in  South  Purchase. 

Pookpoawkquachoo,  or  MONHONKEXOCK. 

An  early  name  of  river  in  Middleborough  mentioned  as  a 
boundary  in  "Running  of  the  Town  Bounds,"  April  6,  1686. 
The  present  name  of  this  stream  is  Black  Brook,  which  flows 
into  Great  Quitticas  Pond  about  ' '  Six  miles  south  of  wading 
place  over  Namasket  River."  I  believe  this  name  originally 
was  the  name  of  a  hill  in  this  vicinity  and  later  given  to  the 
brook. 

51 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Pokpohku  and  Poohpoohguttog signified  "quail,"  or  Pokpoh- 
kussu — "  partridge,"  and  Achoo  or  Achu — "  hill;  "  "  Partridge 
or  Quail  Hill."  Where  Black  Brook  enters  Quitticas  is  a  hill 
to  which  this  name  probably  belonged. 

(See  Monhonkenock.) 

Poquoy,  or  TROUT  BROOK. 

Rises  in  the  northwest  part  of  Lakeville  and  flows  into  the 
Taunton  River.  Forms  part  of  the  boundary  between  Lakeville 
and  Middleborough.  Possibly  from  Pohki  or  Pohqui  "it  is 
clearer  transparent."  If  so,  however,  a  suffix  has  been  lost 
signifying  a  brook  or  stream.  More  probably  the  name  refers 
to  the  cleared  land  from  the  root  Pohque.  This  root  is  found 
in  many  Plymouth  County  names  and  many  of  the  small  tribes 
used  it  in  some  form  to  designate  the  cleared  wood  land  or 
meadow  in  their  neighborhood.  From  early  colonial  history  we 
know  that  in  Plymouth  County  much  land  had  been  cleared  by 
the  Indians  in  various  places  for  planting. 

Possibly  from  PoTiqui — "  it  divides  in  two  " — when  it  enters 
Taunton  River. 

Purchade,    Pochade,    Porchaeg,    Pachaeg.    Brook, 
Pond,  and  Neck  in  Middleborough. 

Takes  its  name  from  a  "  certain  neck  of  land  called  Pachaeg 
Pond"  mentioned  in  deed  of  the  Purchade  Purchase  in  1662, 
and  in  Little  Lotmen's  Purchase,  1664.  This  was  the  land  near 
the  junction  of  the  Namasket  and  Taunton  rivers.  Purcltadv 
Brook  runs  through  it  rmd  empties  into  the  Namasket. 

Probably  from  Pachatuj  Pachau-anke — "a  turning  place." 
Poochoag  or  Pochag  means  a  "corner  or  recess."  Just  before 
the  Namasket  River  enters  the  Taunton  River  it  makes  a  most 
curious  turn  forming  nearly  three  sides  of  a  square.  Pacliaetj 
may  have  been  the  original  name  of  Never  Touch  Pond. 

52 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Quitquassett,  1673,  Quitiquas,  Quetquas,  Aquetquas. 

Possibly  originally  from  Aquedne-ash-et.  Aquednash — 
"islands,"  with  a  locative  suffix  "at  the  islands,"  "  the  island 
place."  There  are  three  islands  in  Great  Quitticas  Pond. 

Great  Quittacas  is  on  the  boundary  of  Middleborough,  Roch- 
ester and  Lakeville,  and  Little  Quittacas  pond  is  between  Lake- 
ville  and  Rochester.  Quetecas  was  the  early  name  given  to  the 
hills  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ponds,  also  the  name  of  one  of  the 
islands. 

Thomas  Weston,  in  his  History  of  Middleborough,  states 
that  the  name  was  from  an  Indian  chief  (p.  429). 

MunnoJi  was  another  name  for  an  island.     (See  MonhigginS) 

Sammauchamoi. 

A  tract  of  land  in  Middleborough  sold  by  Wampatuck  in 
1666.  "  Bounded  south  by  Namasket  Pond  "  (Assawompsett) . 
Possibly  from  Assamau — "he  feeds,"  and  komuk — "a  place" 
— "a  feeding  place;  "  modern  free  translation — a  picnic  ground. 
It  may  be  from  Sam.me-auk-amog — "oil-place-pond." 

Sasonkususet,  Susunksisit. 

"A  pond  called  Sasonkususet. "  Indian  deed  of  1673,  from 
old  Wuttuspaquin  to  Assowetough  (Betty  Sassamon).  This 
pond  was  a  boundary  in  the  original  deed  of  part  of  Betty's 
Neck  in  Lakeville.  Cranberry  is  its  present  name. 

Satucket,  Saughtughtett.    (Bradford.) 

A  pond  very  near  the  boundary  line  of  Middleborough, 
Bridgewater  and  Halifax,  now  called  Robbin  Pond.  Probably 
from  iSauk-tucJc-et  "near  the  mouth  of  the  stream."  Mentioned 
in  surveying  town  lines  in  1681.  The  pond  taking  the  name 
of  an  Indian  village. 

The  Indian  name  of  land  about  Bridgewatei  sold  by  Massa- 

53 


INDIAN  NAMES 


soit   to   Miles    Standish   in    1649.      Sank — "outlet,"    tuck — 
"  stream,''  with  the  locative  et — "  near  "  or  "at." 

"Satucket,  a  contraction  of  Saquatuckett  oiMassaquatuckett." 
(M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  7,  p.  140.)  In  the  deed  of  1649  it 
was  written  "iSaughtuckett." 

Sawcomst. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  Henry  Wood's  Purchase  from 
Tuspaquin,  Aug.  9,1667,  "  to  that  part  of  ye  brook  that  is  stony 
like  to  a  fall  called  Sawcomst."  The  present  name  is  Fall 
Brook.  In  Twelve  Men 's  Purchase  "Fall  Brook"  is  mentioned 
as  a  boundary.  Possibly  the  root  of  this  name  is  sau k — "a 
stream  flowing  out  of  a  pond." 

Seipican,  Sepaconnet. 

The  Indian  "  name  of  a  brook  in  Rochester,  having  its 
source  in  Middleborough.  From  this  little  stream  the  Planta- 
tion (Rochester)  took  its  name."  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  4, 
p.  -253.) 

Name  of  harbor,  river,  and  town  in  Marion. 

Various  translations  have  been  given  of  this  name  but  I 
think  them  doubtful.  "  Seip  means  river  but  only  used  as  a 
base  word  with  adjectival  prefix — as  Missi-sipi"  (.).  H.  T.). 
Seip — "  river."  (R.  W.) 

Sniptuet,  Snipatuit,  Senepetuit. 

A  large  pond  in  the  northern  part  of  Rochester  near  the 
Middleborough  line.  Mentioned  as  a  boundary  of  South 
Purchase  in  Indian  deed  of  1673. 

Swanhold,  Swan  Holt. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  deed  of  South  Purchase  from 
Tuspaquin,  July  23,  1673.  The  place  is  described  as  "  a  little 

54 


INDIAN  NAMES 


southeast  of  Wenham  Pond."  (M.  H.  S.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  274.) 
Swanholt.  A  place  in  the  town  of  Wenham,  so  called  by 
the  first  planters  in  1642.  "  Holt  was  the  Saxon  name  of  a 
wood."  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  sowhan-ohke,  in  the  Indian 
language  means  "the  south  land"  or  "south  place,"  and 
Swanhold  certainly  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present 
South  Brook  and  South  Meadow.  Swanliold  may  have  been  a 
corruption  of  Sowhanohhe. 

Sucktequesite. 

A  river  mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  "  Sixteen  Shilling 
Purchase  "  May  14,  1675.  "  Till  it  meets  with  a  river  called 
Sucktequiwte"  Running  into  Great  Quittacas  Pond.  This 
without  doubt  is  a  corruption  of  Suckituclceset.  Sudd — ' '  black, ' ' 
tnck — "river,"  with  the  diminutive  es  and  the  locative  suffix, 
meaning  "at  or  near  the  small  black  river."  This  interpreta- 
tion is  probably  correct,  as  the  present  name  of  this  stream  is 
Black  Brook. 

Several  other  Indian  names  have  been  given  to  Black  Brook 
but  with  the  exception  of  the  above  I  believe  all  to  have  been 
land  names  of  certain  localities  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  brook 
and  then  gradually  given  to  the  brook  by  the  early  settlers. 
This  occurs  to  a  great  extent  throughout  New  England. 

Tamett. 

Small  brook  flowing  into  the  southern  extreme  of  Assa- 
wompsett  Pond. 

Tepikamicut,  Tippecunnicut. 

An  old  Indian  village  mentioned  in  Indian  deed  of  ' '  Twenty- 
six  Men's  Purchase  "  and  also  an  Indian  deed  of  Tispequin  to 
James  Coee.  "On  the  old  Narnasket  path."  The  first  spelling 
was  hi  the  deed  of  1661.  This  may  also  be  a  corrupted  abbre- 
viation of  Kehti-paquon-oe-et)  as  Tippicanoe  is  supposed  to  be. 

Kektipoquonunk — "  at  the  great  clearing." 

55 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Tionet,  Tihonet. 

"An  angle  of  Plymouth  that  nearly  touches  the  sea  at 
Warehain"  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175). 

Tannag  (or  Taunek  R.  VV.)  means  "a  crane."  "  Taunek, 
the  '  crane, '  is  doubtless  the  name  applicable  rather  to  the 
rocky  shore  or  point  actually  within  that  town  where  these  birds 
seek  their  food."  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  175.) 

If  this  is  the  derivation,  the  word  is  much  corrupted  and 
part  of  it  lost.  Taunek-aug  or  Taunelc-aug-set,  would  probably 
mean  a  place  where  cranes  were  usually  to  be  found.  The  home 
of  the  cranes. 

"  That  small  part  of  Plymouth  which  was  annexed  to  Ware- 
ham,  January,  1827  "  (History  of  Plymouth,  p.  159,W.T.  D.). 

Tihonet  Pond  near  the  boundary  land  of  Wareham,  Plymouth, 
and  Carver. 

Titicut,  Kehtehticut,  Cutuhtikut,  Tetiquid,   Catuht- 
kut. 

The  present  name  of  a  town  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
Middleborough.  A  settlement  was  made  at  Titicut  in  1637  by 
Miss  Elizabeth  Poole.  This  land  had  been  conveyed  to  her 
before  it  had  been  reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Indians. 
The  land  in  this  vicinity  was  the  old  Indian  reservation  deeded 
by  Chickatabutt,  in  1664,  to  the  Indians  on  "Catuhtkut  River." 
It  was  also  one  of  the  old  Indian  praying  towns.  "The  great 
river  after  receiving  the  waters  of  the  Winetuxet,  to  Namasket 
is  commonly  called  Titicut  River,  but  from  there  to  the  sea  is 
called  Taunton  Great  River."  (M.  H.  S.  Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  7,  p. 
172.)  Dr.  Trumbull  says  "  Kehtehticut  (-kehte-tuk-nt)  a  fa- 
mous fishing  place  '  on  the  great  river'  near  Taunton,  Mass., 
was  abbreviated  and  corrupted  to  Teightaquid-Teghta^utt^  etc., 
and  finally  to  Titicut  as  the  name  of  a  village  in  Middleborough.' ' 

Kehttetuck   signifies  the  great   or  principal  river;    l\'ehti — 

56 


INDIAN  NAMES 


«« chief,"  "  principal,  greatest ;"  tuck — ••  a  tidal  or  broad  river. ' ' 
The  land  probably  took  the  name  from  the  river.  The  Indian 
name  of  the  Blackstone  River  in  Worcester  County,  Massachu- 
setts, was  liuttutuckj  often  written  in  old  deeds  "  Titicut." 

Tuppatwett. 

Mentioned  as  boundary  Indian  deed  of  South  Purchase 
from  Tuspaquin  July  29,  1673.  "And  so  to  a  rivers  mouth 
called  Tuppatwett  wich  runneth  into  ye  pond  called  Quittu- 
washet."  This  is  the  brook  flowing  between  Great  Quitticas 
Pond  and  Snipatuit  Pond.  Northwest  part  of  Rochester. 

Tuspaquin,  Tispaquin,  Tispequin,  Tispequn. 

A  pond  in  the  eastern  central  part  of  Middleborough  about 
two  miles  northeast  of  Pocksha  Pond,  so  called  from  Tuspaquin, 
the  Black  Sachem,  who  inherited  much  land  from  Pamantaquash, 
the  Pond  Sachem,  by  will  made  in  1668.  This  pond  is  men- 
tioned as  a  boundary  in  deed  of  Twelve  Men's  Purchase  from 
Tuspaquin.  In  Wood's  Purchase,  1667,  a  boundary  pond  called 
the  Black  Sachem's  Pond  is  the  same,  and  so  by  the  deed  its 
original  Indian  name  was  Waumpaucutt.  The  Black  Sachem 
who  owned  much  land  in  Plymouth  County  gave  many  deeds, 
many  in  Middleborough.  He  was  brother-in-law  to  King  Philip 
and  one  of  his  most  trusted  chiefs.  Upon  a  promise  by  Captain 
Church  that  the  lives  of  his  wife  and  children  and  his  own  life 
should  be  spared  he  went  to  Plymouth  and  gave  himself  up  to 
the  Governor  and  his  Council,  but  he  was  soon  after  tried  and 
publicly  executed. 

Tusconnanset. 

Mentioned  as  a  boundary  of  South  Purchase  from  Tuspa- 
quin, Jan.  23,  1673,  "to  a  river  that  runneth  out  of  Swanhold 
unto  a  place  called  Tusconnanset.''  Probably  from  the  root 

57 


INDIAN  NAMES 


tooskeonk — "a  wading  place."    It  was  probably  on  South  Mea- 
dow Brook  in  Carver  not  very  far  from  Wenham. 

Tooskeonganit,  Tusconnanset — "near  the  wading  place." 

Wachamotusset. 

Name  of  brook  mentioned  in  an  adjustment  of  boundaries 
between  "Mr.  Constant  Southworth  and  Philip  the  Sachem." 
Must  have  been  near  Assawompsett  Pond.  Probably  Tamett 
Brook. 

See  Mahchumoo — ' '  waste, "  "  barren; ' '  tuck — ' '  brook,  '  'with 
the  diminutive  es  and  locative  et — "  small  barren  brook." 

Wappanuckett    (Dr.  Thomas  Delano's  will,  1222),    Wau- 
paunucket,  Wappahnucket,  Wappond. 

A  neck  of  land  in  Middleborough  near  Assawompsett  Pond. 
In  deed  of  one  of  the  tracts  of  land  in  Sixteen  Shilling 
Purchase  it  is  described  as  follows,  "Neck  of  land  commonly 
cald  by  the  name  of  Wappond  bounded  on  the  northerly  sid 
with  Assawarnset  Pond  and  on  the  westerly  sid  or  end  with  a 
pond  commonly  called  Poksha,"  May  14,  1675. 

Probably  from  Wapunnnkquas — "swallow."  Wappahnuc- 
ket— "  the  place  of  the  swallows,"  now  known  as  Walnut  Plain. 
Possibly  the  name  was  originally  the  same  as  Waumpatuck,  the 
old  Indian  Sagamore  who  owned  much  land  in  this  vicinity. 

Waupaunucket — "Village  among  the  hills."  (Thomas 
Weston  Hist.  Midi.) 

Waumpaucutt  Pond,  mentioned  as  a  boundary  in  "Wood's 
Purchase,"  1667.  "By  ye  pond  called  ye  Black  Sachems 
pond,  ye  Indian  name  being  Wampaucutt."  This,  therefore, 
seems  to  be  another  name  of  Tispaquin  Pond.  Probably 
from  Wompi — "white,"  paug — "pond,"  ut — locative  suilix  ; 
"  at  or  near  the  white  pond;"  referring,  perhaps,  to  white  stones 
or  the  white  birch  trees  in  or  about  the  pond. 

58 


INDIAN  NAMES 


Washanest. 

"The  Town  granted  unto  Acannootus,  15  acres  of  land  att 
a  place  called  Washanest."  (Vol.  1,  Plymouth  Town  Records, 
page  172.) 

Wecektuket,  "in  Kingston. ' ' 

"Is  a  brook  which  joins  Jones  River  from  the  south,  the 
native  term  seems  to  signify  'little  wading.'"  (M.  H.  S. 
Coll.,  s.  2,  v.  3,  p.  168.)  I  cannot  explain  this  translation. 
Possibly  Wek — or  " week,"  tuck-et — "wigwam brook. "(Wigwam 
is  a  corruption  from  welc  or  week  or  wetiC),  tuck — "river"  or 
"  stream,"  with  a  locative  et. 

Weweantitt,  Wawayontat,  Weweantet,  Wewean- 
tic. 

A  river  forming  part  of  the  boundary  line  between  Middle- 
borough  and  Carver  and  flows  through  Wareham.  Dr.  Francis 
Lebaron  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  this 
river,  in  Middleborough,  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century  (Weston's  History  of  Middleborough,  p.  336).  Prob- 
ably the  word  comes  from  the  same  root  as  Woweaushin-  Woweou, 
etc.,  conveying  the  idea  of  wandering  about,  and  this  descrip- 
tion is  more  applicable  to  the  river  than  the  word  crooked,  as 
in  its  lower  part  it  expands  itself,  forming  inlets  into  the 
country. 

Waywayantelc  or  Wewewantett  was  the  Indian  name  of  the 
land  about  Wareham  (M.  H.  S.,  s.  1,  v.  1,  p.  198). 

Winnapauckett. 

A  pond  mentioned  in  Gov.  Thomas  Prince's  will,  1673. 

"Land  on  the  easterly  syde  of  Namassakett  River  between 
Winnapauckett  pond  and  a  tract  of  land  called  "the  Major's 
purchase." 

59 


INDIAN  NAMES 


From  Winne  oxWunne — "  good,"  paug — "  pond,"  et — "  at." 
"  The  good  pond,  "  "  the  beautiful  pond." 

Winetuxet,  Winnatuxett,  Winnytucktuett. 

River  in  Halifax,  Plympton  and  Carver,  also  name  of  town 
in  southern  part  of  Plympton.  "The  source  of  it  is  in  Muddy 
Pond  in  the  North  Section  of  Carver  where  it  was  the  Six  Mile 
Brook  of  the  first  planters  on  their  first  path  to  Namasskett" 
(M.  H.  S.,  s.  2,  v.  4,  p.  268). 

Wintusksett  Brook.  Mentioned  as  north  boundary  in  deed 
of  "Twenty-Six  Men's  Purchase."  It  flows  into  the  Taunton 
River. 

Winne-tuk-es-et — "good  small  river,"  with  a  locative  suffix. 
Probably  meaning  a  good  river  for  the  canoes.  "The  beautiful 
small  river."  In  "Twenty-Six  Men's  Purchase"  it  is  written 
Wimabusksett  Brooke,"  1661. 

"Winnatuxett  or  'the  New-found  meadows.' ' 

The  following  names  are  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Pumanta- 
quash,  the  Pond  Sachem,  1668,  "  all  his  lands  at  Assawamsett 
or  elsewhere."  (Ply-  Col.  Rec.,  v.  1,  p.  229.) 

These  places  may  all  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  Assa- 
wompsett  Pond  in  Middleborough  and  Lakeville,  but  I  have 
been  unable  to  identify  them. 

Pachamaquast, 

Nekatattacoeuek, 

Setnessnett, 

Wacagasaneps, 

Qua/nakeckett, 

Tokopixsett, 

Wampaketateka  m , 

Caskakachesqua  («A) , 

Wachpusle, 

Pachcst . 

60 


INDIAN  NAMES 


IN    MEMORIAM 
THE  GBANTOKS 

"  Lest  we  forget." 


MASSASOIT,  "The  Great  Chief,"  Sachem  of  the  Wampa- 
noags,  died  1661  or  1662. 

QUADEQUINA,  Brother  of  Massasoit. 

WAMSTTTTA  (Alexander),  Oldest  son  of  Massasoit,  suc- 
ceeded his  father  in  1661  or  1662.  Died  in  1662. 

POMETACOM  (King  Philip),  The  great  chief  of  the  Wampa- 
noags,  second  son  of  Massasoit,  succeeded  Alexander  in  1662, 
shot  August  12,  1676.  Beheaded,  and  his  quartered  body 
hung  on  the  trees. 

WEETAMOO,  Queen  Sachem  of  Pocassit,  wife  of  Alexander. 
Found  drowned,  August  6,  1676,  in  Taunton  River.  Her  body 
was  beheaded. 

WOOTONEKANUSKE,  wife  of  King  Philip  and  sister  of 
Weetamoo.  Captured  in  August,  1665.  Probably  sold  into 
slavery,  with  her  son  nine  years  old. 

TTJSPAQTJIN,  "The  Black  Sachem,"  Brother-in-law  of  King 
Philip.  Surrendered  on  the  condition  that  his  life  should  be 
spared.  Shot  and  beheaded  September,  1676. 

PAMANTAQUASH,  "The  Pond  Sachem,"  died  about  1668. 
63 


INDIAN  NAMES 


,  Brother-in-law  of  King  Philip.     Shot  at  New- 
port, August  25,  1676. 

CHIKATAUBUT,   Sachem  of  The  Massachusetts,  Died  No- 
vember, 1633. 

WAMPATUCK,  Sachem  of  Mattakeesett,  Killed  by  the  Mo- 
hawks in  1669. 

TISQUANTUM  (Squanto)  and  Hobomok,  not  Grantors,  but 
loyal  Friends,  Interpreters  and  Guides  to  the  Pilgrims. 


64 


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Indian 

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